Pin sweeping device



Oct. 20, 1953 w. BLAIR 2,656,187

PIN SWEEINQ DEVICE Filed Nov. 15, 1949y 2 sheets-sheet 2 LM .ra Nm, mm.

Patented Oct. 20, 1953 UNITED PATENT .OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to bowling apparatus, and in particular to pin-sweeping devices for sweeping the fallen pins or dead wood on the bowling alley.

In bowling apparatus, especially automatic pinsetting machines, the sweeping of the fallen pins or dead wood off the alley has presented a number of diicult problems. It has been necessary to position the sweeping device in such a location that it will not interfere with bowling operations and will not be damaged by being hit by bowling balls or flying pins'.V The sweeping device must be drawn toward the rear of the alley or pit in order to sweep the fallen pins into the pit, but it must advance over the fallen pins or over the pins remaining standing at the conclusion of bowling without contacting such pins. Hitherto, it has been difficult to provide a pinsweeping device which will overcome these problems or meet these conditions of operation, and at the same time be dependable in operation and compact in the amount of space which it occupies. Certain of these pin sweeping devices employed tilting reciprocating motors which involved complicated and delicate mechanisms. The present invention provides a pin sweeping device which satises these conditions and solves these probu lems.

One object of this invention is to provide a bowling pin sweeping device for removing the fallen or standing pins from the alley, the sweep being operated by a reciprocating motor such as a fluid pressure piston so arranged that when the piston has been advanced a predetermined distance,y the sweep, which during such advancement has been moving forward in a horizontal position, now drops into a vertical position and is locked in that position while being retracted, sweeping the pins from the alley into the pit.

Another object is to provide a bowling pin sweeping device of the foregoing character wherein the sweep is automatically unlocked when it has been retracted to a predetermined positionl beyond the end of the alley and over the pit, continued retraction of the piston causing the sweep to be automatically swung upward from a horizontal position to a vertical position and automatically locked in that position, thereby eliminating any necessity for employing tiltable motor mechanism.

Another object is to provide a bowling pin sweeping device of the foregoing character wherein the pin sweep is locked in its horizontal and vertical positions by latches operated by xed cams or by stop rods so that the location at which the locking and unlocking takes place is exactly regulated and positively actuated.

Another object is to provide a bowling pin sweeping device of the foregoing character wherein the pin sweep upon being unlocked near the end of its retraction stroke in its vertical position is immediately thereafter moved upward to its horizontal position by engagement with a fixed cam, thus insuring that the sweep is locked in its horizontal position when it reaches its fully retracted position and remains locked in this horizontal position until it reaches its fully advanced position.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a bowling pin sweeping device in its retracted and raised posi tion, according to one form of the invention, as installed in a bowling alley having a chain-operated pin elevator associated therewith;

Figure 2 is a. side elevation, partly in section, of the bowling pin sweeping device shown in Figure l, taken along the line 2-2 in Figure l;

Figure 3 is a cross-section taken along the line 3-3 in Figure 2, showing the major portion of the pin-sweeping device in front elevation;

Figure 4 is a vertical section, similar to Figure 2, but showing the pin sweeping device in its advanced and lowered position; and 4 Figure 5 is a horizontal section taken along the line 5-5 in Figure 4, showing the latching arrangement for releasably locking the sweep in its lowered or vertical position.

Referring to the drawings in detail, Figure l shows a bowling alley, generally designated It, in which a bowling pin sweeping device, generally designated Il, has been installed, according to one form of the invention. The bowling alley I@ includes the usual alley bed l2 flanked on either side by gutters I3 and having the usual pit it behind it. The alley bed l2 is shown as having pins P arranged in the usual triangular pattern.

The bowling alley l0 beyond the gutters i3 is provided with side walls or side boards i6 which are interconnected by parallel forward and rearward cross members Il and I3 respectively. The alley I0 is also shown as provided with a vertical pin elevator I9 forming a part of an automatic pin setting machine, the remainder of which is not shown. The portion of the pin elevator I9 which is shown in Figures 1, 2 and 4 consists of vertical bars 20 spaced laterally from one another by gaps 2l in which the forward courses of endless conveyor chains 22 run upward, guided by vertical guide bars 23 (Figure 1). The conveyor chains 22 at intervals along their lengths are provided with laterally spaced pin grasping fingers 24 which extend forwardly from the chain 22 past the guide bars 23 into positions where they will reach beneath the head and around the neck of a pin P which has been properly positioned with its head downward at the lower end of the pit bottom 25 (Figures 1 and 4) Neither the automatic pin setting machine nor the pin elevator i9 is within the scope of the present invention, such a pinsetting machine and elevator being disclosed and claimed in my co-pending application Serial No. 81,087 filed March 12, 1949, for Automatic Bowling Pin-Setting Machine. The portion of the pin elevator i9 shown in the present drawings is inserted merely for the purpose of showing the relative location of the pin sweeping device and also illustrating how the device may be installed in an automatic bowling pin-setting machine of the type disclosed and claimed in my copendi-ng application mentioned above.

Mounted on the upper edges of the cross members 1l and I8 are secured thereto by cleats or arcuate bands 26 are two reciprocable fluid pressure motors, generally designated 2l, spaced laterally apart from one another (Figure ,1) The motors 27 are preferably pneumatic motors Ahaving cylinders 28 extending through apertures 29 in certain of the vertical bars 2Q and having forward and rearward cylinder heads 3d and 3l respectively provided with air conduits 32 and 33 for alternately supplying compressed air 'and discharging air. Reciprocably mounted in each cylinder 28 is a piston 3i (Figure 1) connected to a piston rod 35. The piston rods 35 pass outward through the forward heads Si) which are provided with .glands Sii which compress packings (not shown) to prevent leakage of air around the piston rods 35. The piston rods `35 are thus constrained by their cylinders 2B to reciprocate in substantially rectilinear paths spaced above the tops of standing pins P on the alley I2 and substantially parallel `to the alley I2.

Mounted on the forward ends .of the piston rods 35 are the downwardly projecting legs ,3l of an approximately U-shaped cross head 39 (Figure 3). The legs 3l are bored as at 39 and preferably also threaded `to receive pivot pins or pivot screws or studs iii] which likewise pass through bores di in the side armsll of an l-lshaped swinging `pin sweep, generally7 designated 43, having a horizontal cross vbar interconnecting the side arms i2 (Figure 1) Secured to the lower portions of the side arms 132 and inter connecting the latter is a plate-like pin sweeping member 45 having a slightly cut away portion t5 along the central part of its lower or forward edge, depending upon its position (Figure 1). On either side of the cutaway portion .6.6, which passes close to the surface of the alley bed i2, are downward projections 'i which enter the gutters I3 and sweep therefrom any pins which may have been knocked into the gutters.

Secured as by fasteners to the opposite sides of the cross bar 44 (Figures 3 and 5) are two oppositely extending latch hooks i8 and 49. The cross bar 54 is also provided with a projection or lug 58 (Figures 2 and 3) adapted to engage the upper edge of a forwardly projecting L-shaped fixed cam 5I arranged in a vertical plane and having an inclined forward end 52 and secured at its rearward end to the .cross member Ii. The hook 48 when in its horizontal rearwardly extending position (Figures 4 and 5) is engaged by a swinging locking .lever `53 which holds the i pin sweep 43 in its vertical position. The locking lever 53 is pivoted as at 54 to the cross head 38 and has connected as at 55 to its upper end a tension spring 55 (Figure 3), the opposite end of which is anchored to a pin or screw 5l seated in an angle bracket I9 secured to the cross head 38. Thus, the lower portion of the locking lever 53 is constantly urged by the spring 5'1 toward latching engagement with the hook 5,8 (Figure 5) when the pin sweep it is vertical and its upper portion is urged toward Aa stop pin 51a .by the spring 55 (Figures 1 and 3). The locking lever 53, however, is swung into unlocking position by a fixed cam 58 mounted in a horizontal plane and having an inclined forward end 59 (Figure l) and secured at its rearward end to the lower edge of the cross member i'i.

The pin sweep t3 is locked temporarily and releasably in its raised or horizontal position (Figures 1 and 2) by a bell crank latch lever Si] which is pivoted as at 5| to the upper surface of the cross head 3B and which .has its forward arm E2 urged beneath the hook 129 (Figure 3) by a tension spring 63 extending from it to the cross head 33. 1Pivotally connected as at Sli to the rearward arm f5.5 of the bell crank lever is a stop rod G5 which extends rearwardly through a suitably bored guide rbracket 'Si secured to .and extending upwardly from the cross member il. The stop rod t6 near .its rearward .end'carries an adjustable stop collar 68 which may be clamped by the set screw t9 at lany desired position along the stop rod (iii. A stop pin 7%) on the upper surface of the cross .head 3B (Figure .1) limits the swinging of the bell crank latch lever 58.

ln order to control the alternate supplying -of compressed air to the conduits 32 and 33 at the forward and rearward ends of the pneumatic motors 2l, an electro-magnetic valve (not shown) is provided, the energization of which is controlled by limit switches ll and 'i2 (Figure 1). The limit switch 'il which is actuated in the retracted position of the pin sweep 43 (Figure l) is mounted upon an angle bracket '1'3 bolted to one of the alley side walls i5. The limit vswitch H is engaged by a contact arm "M of L-shaped form secured to and extending laterally from one of the legs 3l of the cross head 323. The limit switch "i2, on the -other hand, is actuated by a beveled stop collar l5 clamped V:by the set `screw TG at any desired position of adjustment .along a switch-operating rod 'il which passes :through a suitably bored guide bracket 'i3 secured to and extending upward from the cross member il. The operating rod 'il at its forward end is connected to the angle Abracket; i9 (Figures .1 .and 3) which is likewise bolted to the upper surface of the cross head 38.

Operation In the operation ofthe invention, let it be assumed that there are pins P standing or lying on the alley bed l2 which itis desired to sweep into the pit iii, where the pins P'may be either picked up and reset manually by the pin boy 'or picked up by the elevator conveyor fingers 2li and reset by a pin-setting machine. Let it also be assumed that the latter is the case, and that the limit switches ll and *i2 are .electrically connected to the remainder ofthe circuit controlling and cperating the pin-setting machine. Such a 'circuit is shown in my co-pending application Serial No.

82,087 previously referred to above. Let it finally v be assumed that `the pin sweeping device ll l is in its retracted position shown in Figures l, 2 and 3 with the pin sweep i3 raised into its horizontal position where it is held by the bell crank latch lever 60 engaging the hook 49 (Figures 1 and 3). At this time, the contact arm 'I4 is engaging the plunger of the limit switch 1I, conditioning the circuit for operation as soon as the necessary preceding operations have been carried out, such as, for example, to pick up by an automatic pinsetter certain standing pins which it is desired to replace on the alley rather than to sweep them off.

When the circuit is energized so that electric current flows through the limit switch II to the electro-magnetic valve (not shown), the conduit 32 is thereby opened to the atmosphere and at the same time compressed air is caused to ow through the conduit 33 to the rearward end of the cylinders 28 of the fiuid pressure motors 21, causing the pistons 34 and piston rods 35 to move forward to the left. As the pin sweep 43, now in its horizontal position (Figure 2), moves forward, the projection or lug 59 slides over the upper edge of the fixed cam 5I, but it does not at this time slide down the inclined portion 52 because it is still locked in its horizontal or raised position by the bell crank latch lever 69 (Figure 1) engaging the hook 49.

When the pin sweep 43 nears the limit of its forward stroke, however, the stop collar S8 on the stop rod 66 comes into contact with the bracket 6l (Figure l) and halts further motion of the stop rod 56. The piston rods 35, however, continue to push the pin pickup 43' forward, carrying with it the pivot pin 63 and the bell crank latch lever 60, with the result that the latter is caused to swing in a counterclockwise direction around the pivot pin 6 i, thereby swinging the arm 62 out from under the hook 49. This permits the pin sweep 43 to drop by gravity into a vertical position (Figure 4) after it has passed beyond any possible standing pins which are to be swept from the alley bed I 2.

In the meantime, the locking lever 53 has moved along the edge of the horizontal fixed cam 58, over oblique end surface 59 and olf the end thereof. This permits the locking lever 53 to be moved from its inclined position (Figure 3) to a vertical position against the stop pin Sla by the spring 56.

When the pin sweep 43 reaches its lowermost or vertical position, the hook 48 pushes the locking lever 53 aside (Figure 5) and the spring 56 then pulls the locking lever 53 back into locking position behind the prong of the hook 48, temporarily locking the pin sweep 43 in its vertical position (Figures 4 and 5).

When the pin sweep 43 and cross head 3B have been advanced forwardly to their extreme forward positions (Figure 4), the switch operating rod TI has meanwhile been drawn sufficiently far to the left to cause the stop collar I5 to engage and operate the switch plunger of the limit switch l2. This action oppositely energizes the electromagnetic valve which controls the flow of compressed air to the pneumatic motors 2, causing compressed air to flow through the conduit 32 into the forward or left-hand ends of the cylinders 28 and opening the conduits 33 to the atmosphere. This causes the pistons 34 and piston rods 35 to move rearwardly to the right, retracting the now vertical pin sweep 43 and sweeping the pins P on" the alley bed I2 into the pit I4.

When the pin sweep 43 nears the end of its retracted stroke, the lower portion of the locking lever 53 engages the beveled portion 59 of the horizontal fixed cam 58 and is pushed to one side (Figure 3) out from behind the prong of the hook 48 and thereby unlocking the hook 48 and pin sweep 43. Immediately thereafter, the projection 50 on the cross bar 44 of the pin sweep 43 encounters the beveled portion 52 of .the vertical fixed cam 5I, riding up this beveled portion 52 onto the upper edge thereof and thereby swinging the pin sweep 43 upward from its vertical position (Figure 4) to its horizontal position (Figure 2).

In the meantime, the disengagement of the stop collar 68 with the bracket 91 resulting from the rearward movement of the pin sweep 43 (Figure l), permits the bell crank latch lever 59 to be drawn in a counterclockwise direction back against the stop pin I9 by the spring 33. As the pin sweep 43 is moved upward by the engagement of the projection 59 with the upper edge of the vertical cam 5I, the hook 49 pushes its way past the arm 92 of the bell crank stop lever Ell, pushing the latter aside, whereupon the spring 53| pulls the arm 52 back behind the prong of the hook 49 and temporarily locks the pin sweep 43 in its horizontal or raised position. Finally, when the pin sweep 43 and cross head 38 reach their extreme retracted position (Figures l, 2 and 3), the contact arm i4 moves into engagement with the operating plunger of the limit switch 'II, thereby causing shifting of the electromagnetic valve and halting the further retraction of the pin sweep 43. By actions elsewhere in the operating circuit, as described in my abovementioned co-pending application Serial No. '81,087, the pin sweeping device II now remains stationary until it is next called upon to sweep pins from this alley.

In place of the operation of the pin sweeping device I I by an electro-magnetic valve controlled by the limit switches 'II and l2, it will be understood that the pin sweeping device II may also be operated manually merely by shifting the air control valve manually, to reversely control the admission of compressed air to the conduits 32 or 33 as described above. This procedure would be used where the pin sweeping device I I is used apart from an automatic pin-setting machine.

What I claim is:

1. A pin sweeping apparatus for a bowling alley, comprising a reciprocatory member reciprocably mounted above said alley, a reciprocatory fluid pressure motor having a reciprocable piston operatively connected to said member to reciprocate said member, a pin sweep pivotally mounted on said reciprocatory member and swingable thereon between approximately horizontal and vertical positions, a sweep retracting device responsive to the arrival of said sweep at a predetermined position in its rearward stroke for effecting raising of said sweep from its vertical to its horizontal position, a locking appliance arranged to temporarily lock said sweep in said vertical position, and releasing mechanism responsive to the arrival of said sweep at a predetermined position in its rearward stroke for unlocking said locking appliance.

2. A pin sweeping apparatus for arbowling alley, comprising a reciprocatory member reciprocably mounted above said alley, a reciprocatory fluid pressure motor having a reciprocable piston operatively connected to said member to reciprocate said member, apin sweep pivotally mounted on said reciprocatory member and swingable thereon between approximately horizontal and vertical positions, a sweep retracting device responsive to the arrival of said ,sweep at a predetermined position inits rearward .stroke for effecting raising of said `sweep .from its vertical to its horizontal position, a nrst .locking appliance arranged te temporarily lock said sweep in said horizontal position, a second locking appliance arranged to temporarily lock :said sweep in said vertical position, a Liirst releasing element responsive to the arrival of said -sweep at 4a predetermined position in its forward stroke for unlocking said first locking appliance, and a .second releasing element responsive to the :arrival of said sweep at a `predetermined position in its rearward stroke for unlocking said second `locking appliance` 3. A pin sweeping `apparatus for a `trending alley, comprising a reciprocatory member Vre ciprocably mounted .above said alley, a reciprocatory fluid pressure motor having a reciprocable piston operatively connected to :said member to reciprocate said member, a pin sweep pivotally mounted Yon .said reciprocatory Ainember and swingable thereon Abetween.approximately horizontal and vertical positions1 a .stationary cam disposed in the path of travelof lsaid sweep for engagement therewith and responsive to the arrival of said sweep vat .a predetermined position inits rearward stroke for effecting raising of said sweep from 'its vertical to its horizontal position, 'a first locking appliance arranged to temporarily vlock .said vsweep in said horizontal position, a second locking appliance arranged to temporarily lock said sweep in said vertical position, and a second stationary cam disposed in the path of travel of said locking appliance and responsive to the arrival of said sweep at a predetermined position in its rearward stroke for unlocking said second locking appliance.

WALTER BLAIR.

References Cited in the le'of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,297,951 Wheeler Mar. 18, 1919 1,586,831 Murphy June 1, 1926 1,590,124 Roble June 22, 1926 1,627,414 Schaffer May 3, 1927 2,250,503 'Rundell July 29, 1941 2,319,925 Flanagan May 25, .19.43 2,580,853 Sherman Jan. l, `1952 

